


Zelda's Adventure

by ashe__ketchup



Series: Return of the King [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: BAMF Zelda, Blood and Gore, Breath of the Wild Sequel Trailer, Gen, Post-Breath of the Wild, Zelda goes on an adventure, Zelda makes friends with a Lynel, monsters don't poof, rewriting canon all the way back to skyward sword
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2020-11-01 08:38:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20812238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashe__ketchup/pseuds/ashe__ketchup
Summary: The Calamity might be coming back and it's up to Zelda to save Hyrule(set during and after the BOTW2 trailer)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A teaser for a WIP I've got. I wanted to wait to post the work until I was done, but that's gonna take a while and I got excited.  
don't expect regular updates, at least not for a while, I've only got two and a half chapters written

The cavern is wet and lit only by their torches and the luminous stones all around them. Old paintings cover the rock walls, depicting people on horses. One, in particular, catches Zelda's attention: it's a large man in the stylings of a Gerudo, wielding a trident and riding what looks like the giant horse that's currently in a large, specially made stall in the royal stables.

Zelda shakes her head and keeps moving as Link continues onward.

She had no idea this place existed; while rebuilding the castle, they came across a hidden sealed door. Naturally, they had to investigate. Hyrule Castle has lots of secrets, but a closed-off and abandoned luminous stone mine that's riddled with Lomei carvings isn't what Zelda imagined to be under the castle.

Link stops as they come to a narrow bridge. Luckily, he holds his hand out for Zelda's steed to stop, otherwise, she would have knocked him down in his distracted state.

Zelda hops down and lets Link tie up the steed and put out its torches before they continue on foot.

Movement down below catches Zelda's attention and she rushes over to the edge of the bridge and looks down before Link grabs her cloak and pulls her back to the center of the bridge. He shakes his head and Zelda sighs, following with a final glance towards the abyss. 

_ 'I hadn't even gotten a chance to hold up my torch.' _

Link is tense as they continue, the hand not holding his torch is clenched.

But Zelda feels it too; malice and hatred radiating from further in.

The pair exchanges looks before we both nod and he reaches for his sword.

"Don't ready your sword just yet, maybe whatever it is won't attack until it finds us threatening."

He furrows his brows, but ultimately shrugs and continues onward.

It gets stronger the longer they walk and when they reach a large set of doors that has malice and green wisps of magic leaking through, Link and Zelda look at each other again.

He reaches for his sword but again, she shakes her head. He seems a bit frustrated by this, but of course, doesn't say anything.

She never told anyone, not even her diary, but when Zelda was trapped by the Calamity, there was an underlying tone of sadness that didn't come from her or any fallen Hylian. When she looked into the eyes of the Dark Beast, there was something other than hatred in those eyes.

She felt something in the Calamity; something that later made her think that maybe there's more to this story that she's not being told.

Either way, she takes a deep breath. Link and she have to work together to push open the doors, even with how strong he is.

When the doors open, it's like some sort of seal breaks and Zelda gasps as she stares at the scene in front of her.

  
  


_ A large Gerudo man heaves great breaths as he wields a large trident. He wipes his mouth and looks down to see blood. Scoffing, he wipes it off on his pants and closes his eyes. His trident is enveloped with red and black magic. It grows in size and turns from a glinting gold to a shining obsidian with an aura as fiery red as his hair. A topaz gem rests in a headpiece on his forehead and he's decorated with still golden jewelry. _

_ Magic swirls around him in a red and black mist as he changes his grip on his weapon and levitates above the ground. He holds out his free hand and draws his arm back before launching the trident at his foe. _

_ His eyes widen and he falters as his trident is caught by green magic and broken in half. He falls to his knees in his shock and barely has time to stand before his own magic consumes him; his control was lost when his trident broke. _

_ A hand glowing that same green with golden bracelets reaches out as the Gerudo man roars in pain, his body being infused with the dark magic he tried to control. _

_ He falls back to his knees, his once golden eyes now a burning red. He and his foe are both frozen. _

_ He has his right arm hanging loosely behind him, his left reaching upwards, and his head tossed back, his face forever locked in a cry of agony. _

_ His foe, with her still glowing hand now buried in the chest of the Gerudo, has no expression. Her face is blank and her eyes empty. _

_ Green and red auras spread from the two as their magic and will battle each other. _

_ The doors to the chamber are closed. _

  
  


She gasps as the vision fades and the current scene is revealed, all while she still tries to comprehend that the Gerudo man's opponent looked quite a bit like her.

Link is looking at her with concern but she ignores him and moves further into the chamber. Link follows closely and the doors slam closed behind them.

A mummified man is on his knees as he is bent backward, his mouth wide open and his right arm limp, his left reaching out. He has long, faded red hair and a glowing gem on his forehead, he's covered in gold jewelry in the Gerudo style and has a glowing green hand sticking out of his chest that's spreading out in wisps of magic that might be spelling something in the Gerudo language. It's hard to tell, given how much they're moving, and that Zelda is not especially fluent in Gerudo.

Zelda sees movement in the corner of her eye and looks down at his hand, where she saw the movement, only to realize it was just the malice.

"Link," she calls out, "I think this is the Calamity."

Just as she says that the floor collapses, sending the mummified Gerudo and her plummeting down. She manages to grab Link's hand, but it only brings him down as well.

Looking up, Zelda sees the green hand grab Link's, pulling him to safety as she falls. The last thing she sees is Link being consumed by the green magic before she lands on the ground.

A lit torch managed to survive the fall and Zelda grabs it before hearing a groaning coming from behind her.

Quickly, she turns and now she knows she sees the Gerudo's fingers twitch before his head snaps to look at her. Eyes of malice form in the previously empty sockets.

Zelda gasps, a scream caught in her throat as she takes a few steps back. The Gerudo slowly stands, his limbs and joints snapping into place. His clothes are tattered, but his jewelry is pristine. 

_ 'He's nearly as decorated at Urbosa.' _ Zelda thinks to herself.

Even in his mummified form, he's massive.

_ 'He's almost as tall as the Sidon.' _

"Are you the Calamity?" Zelda asks bravely. 

_ 'Fighting is Link's thing, but if there's one thing I can do, is talk my way out of things. Given that the other person is _ not _ my father.' _

There's deep laughter around Zelda, but she doesn't find it menacing. Something tells her she should.

_ "The Calamity?" _

The Calamity steps forward and Zelda sees a vision. For a split second, he's normal, alive. His dark skin, his fiery red hair, his determined golden eyes. But then it's gone and she sees the shell of a man with fangs and small tusks.

"Well, when you took over Hyrule and possessed Sheikah technology and nearly wiped out the Hylian race, people start calling you names you may not like," she huffs.

Somehow, the corpse looks shocked.

_ "So I really let all that happen... I had hoped it was a dream. A nightmare." _

Something about his statement makes Zelda hesitate. 

_ 'I know Link is possibly being corrupted, but if I can't get up to him, there's nothing I can do, so I may as well get answers while I can.' _

"What were you before? _ Who _ were you before?"

_ "I was once a great King, but my people were suffering. I envied Hyrule for its life, where all the desert had was suffering. I had to save my people." _ He sighs. _ "No, I'm _ not _ the Calamity, but the Calamity had me in its grasp." _

He reaches up with creaking bones and removes his circlet, holding it out to her.

_ "It can protect the wearer from anything the desert may throw your way, I don't need it anymore." _ Zelda accepts the circlet and watches as the Gerudo sits. _ "I don't know how much longer I can hold it back. You need to leave. I will protect the Hero as best I can, but please, return to the desert, the answers must lie there. End this once and for all." _

She nods and turns to leave.

"Wait," she says. The Gerudo hums. "Is Ganon really your name?"

_ "Ganon is the name of the monster I let myself be taken over by. My real name is Ganondorf. Now you must leave, Queen Zelda, the fate of Hyrule now rests in your hands." _

"I trust you," she responds. She swears she sees him smile before turning to find her way out of the cavern.

  
  


Zelda manages to make her way back to her steed, and while she's not as good with mounts as Link, she gets the beast to take her back to the surface.

She tucks the circlet in her bag just as she very faintly hears Ganondorf say, _ "Don't trust the Sheikah." _

"Queen Zelda! What happened? Are you alright? Where's Link?" the Royal Guard Captain calls out.

"Something's happening, I need to go to Kakariko as soon as possible. I'm going to go to my room to wash off and pack a bag. Make sure everything is ready for departure first thing in the morning," she declares, jumping down from her mount. The Captain nods and bows, leading the mount away as she heads up to her rooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally written in first person pov before I changed it, PLEASE let me know if I missed anything


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the long wait, between writer's block, my computer pooping out on me, and a(nother) shift in hyperfixations, it's been a little difficult to upload
> 
> no posting schedule as of right now, but there will be more coming

As soon as night falls, Zelda climbs out her window. Her room is high in a tower, but she's been having Link train her, so she makes her way down with relative ease.

Her door is locked and her cloak is covering her face as she sneaks into the stables.

As soon as the doors open, the giant horse whinnies. Zelda rushes over and places her hand on his snout, hoping to calm him, but she was never that great with horses.

The giant horse, Beast, as Link named him, bumps her with his head and looks over to his saddle.

She opens the door to his stall after a glance at her Royal Steed, Majesty. 

_ 'Taking Beast would be less obvious.' _

Beast kneels, settling down on his folded legs, making it easier for Zelda to climb on, forgoing the saddle. When she's seated, he rises and heads out the stable doors.

_ 'He's not as fast as Majesty, but they might just think Beast was tired of being kept in the stables and escaped.' _

  
  


She makes her way to the Gerudo Canyon Stable without incident by morning. She has to leave Beast behind, but she does so with a kiss on his snout. He snorts and nuzzles Zelda before she heads on her way to Gerudo Town, Ganondorf's circlet on her head.

He wasn't lying; even with her cloak, she feels no difference in temperature when she steps out of the canyon and into the desert, which means she makes it to Kara Kara Bazaar fairly quickly and doesn't need to stop before heading to Gerudo Town as she'd planned. She doesn't even have to pull out the sand boots she borrowed from Link's room.

Link told Zelda all about his adventures while they were traveling, so she makes a beeline for Rotana.

She lives next to The Noble Canteen, so her house is fairly easy to find. Rotana is standing next to a bookshelf with her nose in a book when she enters, despite the early hour.

"Hello," Zelda greets, pushing down the hood of her cloak.

"Mmm... huh? And what is a Hylian vai like yourself doing here?" she questions.

"I want to hear about your research."

"What? You're joking, right? Whenever I talk to my sister about this, she spaces out, and you've come to  _ me _ to ask about my research?"

She finally looks up at Zelda and gasps.

"Oh, Queen Z-" She cuts her exclamation off.

"Please, let's keep this meeting a secret." She nods. "Do you know anything about male Gerudo?"

"Well, there are stories of a Gerudo voe being born, destined to become the king and the protector of the desert, but there hasn't been one in 10,000 years." She squints her eyes a bit. "That circlet you're wearing, where did you get it?"

"Oh, uh..." Zelda reaches up and touches the gem resting on her forehead. "Why?"

Rotana turns and looks at her books for a moment before grabbing one and flipping to the page she wanted. She turns it for her to see a drawing of who looks strikingly similar to Ganondorf, only with shorter hair and a meaner look, wielding twin obsidian swords.

"I haven't been able to translate much of it, but I assume that's the Gerudo King of legends. The circlet you're wearing reminds me quite a bit of his, is all."

"What happened to him?" she asks softly.

"What I can translate says he was corrupted by power. Later in the book, this is shown:" she flips a few pages later and shows me a large, horned, bipedal pig monster. "I assume that means that that's what he became."

Zelda swallows thickly.

"Thank you. Is there anything else you have?"

Rotana shakes her head.

"Only this book." She closes the book and holds it out to her. "I'm not sure what you're up to, but I feel inclined to trust you. Please, take the book, I'm more interested in the Seven Heroines, anyway."

"Thank you, I'll take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will. One more thing. Have you heard about the Triforce?" She shakes her head. "I heard it's three golden triangles sitting corner to corner that grants untold power to whoever comes into contact with it. I don't know much, but rumor has it North Hyrule may hold more information."

"Thank you for all your help, Rotana." She simply nods and smiles before returning to the book she was reading when she walked in.

She tucks the book she gave her into her pack and turns around to head out.

_ 'The description sounds familiar, from Hyrule's crest and the Master Sword, but I need more information and I know exactly where to go to get it.' _

  
  


There's a commotion at Gerudo Canyon Stables and Zelda quickly hides behind a rock formation. 

_ 'Royal Guards. They're asking about me.'  _ She curses under her breath.  _ 'They'll never leave me alone, even if I tell them to. I just wish they weren't trying to bring Beast back to the Castle.' _

She curses again and sends a silent apology to Beast before she starts climbing and hopes the Guards won't look up.

Assuming the Guards are going to search Gerudo for her, she decides to not waste her time by watching to see what they do and start to head towards Great Hyrule Forest.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these next couple chapters may feel a little... off. that would be because I am bad at lone travel scenes and I also have no feasible idea on how the actual fuck Zelda is getting the places she is on foot while avoiding main roads and also anywhere there are people so uh yeah sorry about that. 
> 
> (plus, this is set up and I'm just excited to get to the good shit)

Zelda spent 2 days walking to Korok Forest, only for The Great Deku Tree to tell her to "search the dark Ruins guarded by a sleeping beast" and to "search the Temple long left untouched". 

She spends the rest of her time in the forest sulking inside the tree.

While the Koroks don't have much to offer, she buys some food from them and feels a bit better after eating.

She decides to take a nap to clear her head and dreams of her conversation with the Great Deku Tree.

_ "Tell me about the Triforce," Zelda demanded as soon as she stepped onto the pedestal set into the Tree's root. _

_ "The Triforce…" The Great Deku Tree seemed to lose himself in thought and Zelda sighs. _

_ "You know about it don't you?" _

_ "Of course, but I believe you should search the dark Ruins guarded by a sleeping beast for more information. Then you should search the Temple long left untouched for the next part of your journey. You'll learn what you need to know as you go." _

_ With that, the Tree falls silent and Zelda grows frustrated, to say the least. _

Sighing, Zelda wakes. She eats what the Koroks offer her and she thinks about where to go next.

_ "Dark Ruins guarded by a sleeping beast…" _

There are ruins all over Hyrule, so Zelda focuses on the part about the sleeping beast.

_ 'Hinox,' _ Zelda thinks to herself.

She pulls up her map on the Sheikah Slate. She'd hesitated to bring it because of what Ganondorf had said, _ "Don't trust the Sheikah," _ but she ultimately decided she'd at least need the map.

Sighing once more, Zelda looks over every place where a Hinox is located before her eyes land on Typhlo Ruins and she remembers what Link told her about them.

_ Link wrinkled his nose before signing, 'Then there were the Typhlo Ruins,' he said. _

_ "What about them?" Zelda's pen was poised over her journal, the one she'd been writing down every little adventure Link went on. _

_ 'They were covered in such thick darkness I couldn't see _anything_. I had to use torches to get around and I needed those orbs, you know the ones?' Zelda nods, he'd told her about them before. 'Well I couldn't find the last one, I searched for _ hours upon hours,_ all while trying to avoid the Hinox sleeping in the middle of the ruins.' Link took a dramatic pause and Zelda waits with bated breath. _

_ "Well? Where was it?" _

_ 'On the necklace of the Hinox!' _

_ Zelda gasped before laughing. Link huffed and crossed his arms, hiding a smile while he waited for Zelda to finish writing down what he said, so he could tell her the next story. _

Zelda decides that the Typhlo Ruins must be what the Great Deku Tree was referring to and mark that as the next place for her to go.

"The Temple long left untouched," Zelda thought was pretty obviously the Forgotten Temple, and marks that as well.

With her destination in mind, Zelda tucks the Slate into her belt and sets her bag over her shoulder before heading out of the Tree.

As she exits, she has a vision of two boys, both clad in green.

One probably about her age has the Hylian Shield and Master Sword on his back; the other, seemingly much younger one has a wooden shield that looks similar to the Hylian Shield and an average sword on his back.

Just as suddenly as they appeared, the visions are gone and Zelda continues on her journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonus points if you know what games her vision is referencing


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short mid-month update for my b-day. Not replacing the one at the end of the month, but in addition to it  
I have two more chapters fully written and another half-written, so the updates will likely continue to only be at the end of the month for now, but I do have almost 30 total planned as of right now and I'm not done planning the story yet so we're in it for the long-haul!

Making it to the Typhlo Ruins was the easy part. The hard part was figuring out where to go in the dark.

By the light of torches and the Sheikah Slate, though, Zelda manages to sneak around the slumbering Hinox and come face to face with a door with a swirling symbol on it. She vaguely recognizes it as the symbol of the ancient Zonai Tribe.

The door opens easily and Zelda steps in to find a study. One with books and scrolls strewed about. Miraculously, the room is dust free as she steps in and walks over to the messy desk. A book is open and a scroll and quill are out, something half-written on it in a language Zelda can’t read but does look familiar.

She grabs the book Rotana gave her out of her bag and opens it, realizing quickly that they’re written in the same language. 

When she closes the book, she notices something she hadn’t before. The cover of the book has a Triforce on it, the top triangle colored in red, the other two triangles golden.

_ ‘A Zonai book about Ganondorf,’ _ Zelda concludes, unsure of what exactly the cover means, she tucks the book back in her back and picks up the one left open on the desk.

The cover has a Triforce on it, the bottom left portion blue, and Zelda sees a flash of a skinny tan-skinned, redhead with blue ends of his hair writing in a book. He has the Triforce tattooed on the back of his right shoulder, a frost blue dragon with a crown of horns circles his opposite arm, leading to the bottom left triangle of the triforce.

When the vision fades, Zelda can only presume that the man was writing the book she’s now holding.

She has the feeling that the book will come in handy as soon as she can figure out how to read the language, so she tucks it into her bag for safe-keeping.

She walks over to the bookshelf and picks up a book that seemed to be calling out to her. As soon as she does, though, the bookshelf sinks into the floor, leaving her staring at a door with the Triforce on it. 

The symbol is black, as opposed to the usual gold she’s been seeing it in.

Suddenly, she remembers that it’s the same symbol that appeared on her hand when she used the sealing magic on Dark Beast Ganon. She raises her hand and places it on the door. There’s a slight tingling feeling where the mark appeared a year ago, but nothing happens.

With a sigh, she drops her hand to her side and sticks the book in her hand into her bag without looking at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The man in her vision will be explained later in the story, he's pretty important. Also, the dragon is supposed to be Naydra, not sure if my description made that super clear or not
> 
> What do you guys think that that third book was? I'd also really like to know everyone's thoughts on the story so far, please consider leaving a comment telling me!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yet another short chapter, sorry guys! but the next chapter is nearly 3x longer and the one after that is even longer and only about half-way finished

Zelda is nervous as she walks through the room filled with decaying Guardians. Most Guardians around Hyrule have been completely destroyed or brought up to the Great Plateau for studying, but the Forgotten Temple is… well, forgotten.

She can only hope that none of them are active.

Her hands shake and her legs tremble as she walks through the long room. 

The vision of an old Sheikah-looking woman sitting in front of the doorway that leads to the room with the shrine makes her take pause, but it fades before she can take in any details of the woman or the different room around her; other than the fact that she’s not sitting in front of a door_ way _ but a large, ornate door.

She passes through the doorway and into the room. Behind the shrine is the largest and quite possibly the oldest Goddess statue she’s ever seen.

Yet another vision comes to her when she steps up to its base, though this time, the surroundings don’t change.

A woman who’s silhouetted by a blinding golden light stands just in front of Zelda. She recognizes her as the woman from her dream from what feels like so long ago.

_ “Queen Zelda,” _ the woman says in an ethereal voice, _ “you come seeking answers, yes?” _ Zelda finds herself nodding, struck silent by the beauty of the woman in front of her. The woman lets out a warm chuckle. _ “Of course. Ever the curious. You always are. Always will be. Answers will come in time. Pray again to the Golden Goddesses and you will be given what you need to save our land and our people.” _

The woman, incorporeal as she is, places her hand on Zelda’s cheek, a comforting warmth radiating off her.

_ “We have a bond that will be strengthened with time and patience. Goodbye for now, Little Bird, fly away and save Hyrule.” _

Zelda stands there until a single tear runs down her chin and a single word slips from her mouth, “Mom?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyone know who the Sheikah woman is? or who the golden woman is, for that matter
> 
> (those who know who the Sheikah is also get a hint as to what exactly the forgotten temple is)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Golden Lady will be revealed later, but the woman is a reference to Old Lady Impa from Skyward Sword

Zelda sits at the feet of the Goddess statue wondering who the woman was and what her weird words meant.

After a while of thinking and staring at the Sheikah Slate, before she connects a few dots, hoping she’s right.

Zelda feels she can safely assume that the ‘Golden Goddesses’ are related to the Triforce. She also knows she has to pray to them, and the woman implied she had to leave the Temple to do so, and that she’s prayed to them previously.

Since there are three parts of the Triforce, Zelda figures that there must also be three Golden Goddesses.

She’s almost certain, now, that she has to return to each of the Springs and pray.

So she maps a course.

From her position, the Spring of Power is closest, then the Spring of Wisdom would be closest to that position. She would visit the Spring of Courage last, it seems.

She really wishes her guards hadn’t taken Beast.

It took her 4 days and a lot of hiding and sneaking to get her to Akkala unscathed. 

She traveled at night when monsters and people alike will be sleeping, though she did notice that most monsters avoided her, as well. She barely slept. Sleeping during the day is harder than it seems, especially when you're worried about being spotted.

She could likely go to a stable, get herself a horse, and make sure that no one there speaks of her presence to the guards, but she has a weird feeling that she should keep her travels a secret from as many as she can.

But either way, she made it. She's exhausted and her feet and legs ache, but she's made it to the Spring of Power. 

There were broken down Skywatchers Guardians in the area, but she went by them without issue and entered the water around the statue.

She kneels at the base and prays.

"Great Goddess, I come seeking help. I was told you had something for me; something to help me save Hyrule. Please. Answer my prayers."

She feels and hand on her shoulder and looks up to see a woman haloed by a red light hovering above the altar. 

Her lips move with words she can't hear, but she gestures and the alter opens.

Zelda stands on shaky legs and looks at the woman who moved aside and is gesturing for Zelda to enter the statue. 

She feels that same warmth she felt when the Golden Woman touched her, though this time it's in the back of her mind, rather than on her cheek, and she feels confident in taking a step into the revealed spiral staircase. 

A red-tinted golden light shines from the bottom of the spiral and Zelda's natural curiosity takes over, making her feet move faster as her hesitance is overshadowed by her need to know more.

She comes to the end of the staircase, deep underground, to find a pedestal in the middle of the room. 

On this pedestal is a glowing golden triangle that glints red as it turns slowly where it's floating. 

Zelda didn't realize she had stopped dead in her tracks until the Red Woman from the top gracefully floats by her and stands behind the triangle.

She gestures for Zelda to come closer, her lips moving once again. But still, Zelda can't hear her words.

Though she understands. 

She walks forward slowly, reaching her right hand out and touching the object. 

A blinding flash of that light and the object disappears, replaced instead by a high-pitched ringing in her ears.

She sees flashes of a few different visions.

A dark green-tinted brown-skinned man with evil golden eyes and short, blood orange hair snarls as he floats above the floor. He throws a ball of magic.

A snarling, dark greyish green-skinned man with short orange hair and angry golden eyes is chained up with a glowing white sword in his chest. He breaks his restraints and charges at an unseen party.

A dark green-skinned man with short orange hair and sad golden eyes stands at a window, looking out at a vast ocean.

A dark brown-skinned man with long, wild red hair and a nervous look in his golden eyes reaches out and grabs something with both hands.

The woman snaps her fingers and Zelda's ears pop and the ringing is gone.

The woman is speaking again and her voice fades in and out.

"... Triforce of… not meant for you… save Hyrule… disuse."

And she's gone.

Zelda looks down at her hand and sees a golden triangle right where the top of the Triforce showed up when using her sealing power.

'This must be a piece of the Triforce?' she thinks to herself just as the circlet heats up on her forehead.

"Triforce of Power," Ganondorf's voice supplies, which reminds her of the fact that the men in her first three visions looked eerily similar to Ganondorf, yet so very different. She's certain, though, that the last one was him.

He doesn't say anything more and the circlet cools, so Zelda assumes the connection is lost.

Zelda begins her trek back up the staircase, belatedly realizing that her fatigue and hunger are gone completely.

Still, she takes her time to climb the stairs so she doesn’t waste unnecessary energy.

When leaving the area, she swears she sees a magenta light flickering in one of the Skywatchers, but she plays it off as a trick of the eye and sleep deprivation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the Red Goddess is saying: "You have been gifted with the Triforce of Power. While it is not meant for you specifically, you can and must use it to save Hyrule, though its power is weak from disuse."
> 
> Her visions are a reference to OoT Ganondorf, TP Ganondorf, WW Ganondorf, and our Ganondorf, respectively


	7. Chapter 7

A week.

It takes Zelda nearly a week to reach the Naydra Snowfield, and when she gets there, she’s sleep-deprived, hungry, and _so _not in the mood to deal with the Lynel that charges at her.

It’s only a Red-Maned Lynel, but she _does _worry that not only will it defeat her, but it will wake the nearby Hinox in the process. 

The Lynel is too fast and she has to hold back a scream as she’s picked up in large hands and tossed over a heavily muscled shoulder.

The Lynel then turns and takes off into the deeper section of the snowfield.

_ ‘Oh Goddesses, it’s going to _ eat me _ !’ _ Zelda thinks to herself, shivering with both the thought and the cold as she’s carted across the field.

The Lynel enters a relatively small, hidden and secluded cave set into the side of the mountain. In the corner is a pile of animal skins and closer to the middle is a firepit.

Zelda is set down in the pile of skins and the Lynel leaves the cave. She can hear a large thump and the Lynel is returning with a few bundles of wood, one of which it sets in the center of the circle. With a puff of fire-breath, the Lynel lights the fire and looks up at a shivering and confused Zelda.

It huffs out a noise Zelda’s never heard a creature make before it comes over and grabs a skin from the pile, wrapping the fur side around her shoulders.

Then it leaves again.

It doesn’t return as quickly this time, and Zelda takes the time to assess her situation.

She’s been kidnapped by a Lynel.

She’s too tired and too hungry to try to run or fight.

The Lynel has started a fire and wrapped her in a fur to keep her warm.

The Lynel is gone.

She is in the Lynel’s home.

It’s then that the Lynel returns, a deer draped over its shoulders. It sets the deer down and cuts into it.

Zelda looks away as the Lynel prepares the meat and uses its fire-breath to cook it before moving to offer it to her.

Hesitantly, Zelda takes the cooked meat from the beast and bites into it while the Lynel watches.

After a single taste, Zelda decides it’s good and safe enough for her to quickly devour all she can.

The Lynel looks very pleased as it takes the skin of the deer it just gutted and washes it in the snow before drying and warming it over the fire.

Once satisfied, it removes the fur that’s currently around Zelda and drapes the fresh, warm one over her. Then it presses lightly on her side, making her lay down before covering her with the fur it just removed.

Her eyes feel heavy, and while she’s not entirely convinced she’s safe, her exhaustion takes over and she quickly falls asleep in the Lynel’s nest.

Zelda wakes in the morning extremely relieved to know that the Lynel didn’t kill and eat her in the middle of the night.

The Lynel, however, is curled around her, giving off a rather large amount of heat that Zelda finds soothing.

She suddenly feels more awake than she has in days as she really _realizes _that she’s _cuddling a Lynel_.

The Lynel suddenly yawns and stretches. Zelda tenses.

Goddess, how did she get to this point? How is she going to save Hyrule when she's been kidnapped by a Lynel? How is she going to save Hyrule when she's been _eaten _by a Lynel?

The Lynel notices her state of consciousness and bares its teeth at her, though its eyes seem to hold no malice. It then stands and shakes itself off before trotting back outside the cave.

Zelda knows full well that she can’t run. The Lynel would easily catch her. She’s still tired from just waking up, she’s stiff for the same reason as well as how cold it is and where she’s been sleeping these past weeks. Not to mention the fact that she’s only vaguely familiar with where she’s at, and this is the Lynel’s home.

She presses her pointer and middle fingers to the gem at the center of Ganondorf’s circlet as a hot tear slides down her cheek.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles as her tears start flowing and landing in her lap, freezing shortly thereafter.

Her quiet tears morph into sobs as she hugs her knees to her chest and buries her face in them.

The snow outside the cave crunches as the Lynel happily trots back with its catch, though it pauses when it sees that its guest is sobbing in its nest.

The Lynel drops the deer and quickly goes over to a sobbing Zelda, gently resting its large hands on her shaking shoulders. It huffs and leans into nose at her hair, making her tense up.

The Lynel snorts and Zelda looks up to make eye contact with the monster, though upon seeing her tears, it quickly leans in and licks them away.

Zelda holds her breath as this happens, cold fear clawing up her spine and freezing her in her place.

However, the Lynel seems to almost notice this and backs away, returning to the deer it caught. It holds the carcass up for Zelda to see and bares its teeth again.

It almost looks… proud.

_ ‘Is it? No. it _can’t _be,’ _ Zelda thinks, her lips parting and the frozen grasp of fear melting with her shock. _ ‘It’s _ smiling _ !’ _

Zelda laughs.

She’s not sure what comes over her, but she laughs, clutching her stomach as tears of a different kind roll down her face.

The Lynel tilts its head to the side like a confused Hylian Retriever and it only makes Zelda laugh harder.

She’s in near hysterics when the Lynel _pouts _of all things.

She realizes, suddenly, that the Lynel isn’t fattening her up to eat later, but it’s _bringing her gifts like a domestic cat _and she’s _laughing at it_.

The thought sobers her up quickly. She wipes tears from her eyes and prays to the Goddesses that the monster can understand her.

“I’m sorry for laughing. And for thinking you were going to eat me. You’re just lonely aren’t you?” Zelda is _certain _she’s going crazy when she swears the Lynel nods. “Is that for me?” She points to the deer and the Lynel nods again. “Thank you, it’s very nice.” The Lynel’s tail flicks and Zelda smiles. The Lynel bares its teeth in return before bringing the deer closer to the fire and preparing it like it did the one from the night before.

Once again, the Lynel cooks the meat with its flame and offers it to Zelda, who readily accepts and eats it; though she can’t eat as much as the night before.

When she’s finished, the Lynel tries to convince her to eat more by gently nudging more meat toward her and looking between the two of them.

“Sorry, Lynel, but I’m just not as hungry as I was last night.” The Lynel seems to understand but wilts the slightest bit. “And…” The Lynel perks up when Zelda starts speaking again, giving her its full attention. “I’m not sure why you’ve brought me to your home, but I have a very important quest that I need to do, and in order to do that, I’m going to have to leave.”

The Lynel nods dutifully and wraps up the uneaten meat in a section of the animal’s skin and stands, hooking it to its belted armor. It then moves over to its nest of skins and drapes a few over its back, fur up. Then it puts out the fire and moves to the entrance of the cave before kneeling back down and looking at Zelda expectantly.

Curiously, Zelda approaches. The Lynel’s tail flicks and it bares its teeth in that same vaguely non-threatening way. When Zelda gets close, the Lynel looks at her expectantly before glancing back at the pile of furs on its equine back and then looking back at Zelda.

“You… want to give me a ride?” Zelda questions. The Lynel nods happily and Zelda smiles, laughing softly. “But you don’t even know where I need to go. Plus, the quest will take a very long time, are you sure you want to be away from home for so long?”

The Lynel nods again and Zelda sighs with a smile.

“Well if that’s the case, let’s get going, we’re going to have to get to the top of Mount Lanayru.”

She hops and climbs onto the Lynel, who promptly stands and makes sure Zelda is steady before taking off.

Zelda directs the Lynel in the right direction as they climb the mountain trail leading to the Spring of Wisdom.

Lizalfos scurry away as they approach and, soon enough, they reach the top.

Zelda hops off the back of the Lynel and approaches the statue, once again kneeling in the icy cold water.

Once again, she says, "Great Goddess, I come seeking help. Help to save Hyrule. Please. Answer my prayers."

Just as before, a woman appears, only this time she’s haloed by blue.

“I was wondering when I would see you again. I am Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom. I see you come already blessed with the gift of my sister, Din.” Nayru chuckles and the sound fills Zelda with warmth. “You have awakened your power and are now ready to receive my gift. Follow me.”

The statue opens again and Zelda turns to look at the Lynel before following Nayru into the chamber.

“Wait here,” she tells it. “I’ll be back.”

The Lynel nods its understanding and Zelda descends the stairs.

The scene is similar from before, the main difference being in the blue hue, rather than red.

“Before you is the Triforce of Wisdom. This piece of the Triforce is meant for you; you have a deep connection to it. It is not at its full power, but I believe you have what it takes to get it where it needs to be in order to be of fullest use to you. Step forward and claim it as yours.”

Zelda does just that, reaching her right hand out and feeling a warm sensation up her arm as the Triforce fuses with her.

Once again, she sees visions.

A woman about her age with long, blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a pink dress is seemingly floating in the sky as her mouth moves with unheard words. She brings a blue ocarina to her lips and starts playing.

A woman with purple hair and a staff topped with an upside-down Triforce is facing a painting of a blonde woman wearing a white dress and pink apron. The woman produces a glowing piece of the Triforce from the painting. She turns around, glaring at an unseen party with piercing red eyes.

A woman with brown hair splits a piece of the Triforce into eight different pieces and they all fly in different directions.

A black-robed woman speaks as she holds a small, white hand in her own. Their hands glow and the woman fades, leaving behind a very small woman with black and blue skin, a stone helmet on her head and covering one eye. Fiery orange hair floats behind her.

A girl wearing simple clothes and a sword on her hip watches in awe as two shards of a piece of the Triforce come together. In a bang golden light, the girl is transformed. Her once tied up golden hair now hangs to her waist and she’s dressed in a pink dress and long white gloves.

In a dark sanctum, a woman with blonde hair and green eyes raises her glowing hand and shoots a beam of golden light at something unseen.

Suddenly, Zelda once again sees the scene she’s a part of, Nayru looking at her with a knowing gleam in her eye.

“What you were just given is called the Triforce of Wisdom. It is and always will be meant for you."

"Whatever do you mean?" Zelda asks. Nayru only laughs, disappearing in a blue shimmer.

Zelda is left frustrated in her lack of answers but satisfied with what she's learned. She feels well rested and well fed and is ready to continue on her journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won't have another chapter ready by next month. Not sure when it will be ready, either. I may post updates over on [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/ashe__ketchup).
> 
> As for the visions, they are as follows: Ocarina of Time, A Link Between Worlds, Zelda I, Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, and a later reveal respectively


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